Starting Over (AU,M/L,YTEEN/ADULT) A/N Feb. 27 05 [WIP]

[abbs007]

Hi Everyone,

some of you may have read this part when I first posted it ages ago. I'm re-posting it because Sarah is helping me write this again. So I hope you enjoy.



Starting Over

Author: Abby and Sarah

Disclaimer: We own absolutley nothing relating to Roswell whatsoever. (doesn’t mean that we wish we didn’t lol)

Characters: Max/Liz

Rating: All of them, up to ADULT

Summary: Okay this is the Sequel to UNDERCOVER. I don’t really want to give anything away so that’s all I’m willing to say at the moment. Lol Oh and I recommend you read UNDERCOVER before you read this.

So below is the link to it….

http://www.roswellfanfic.com/viewtopic.php?t=228



*Thanks to Lindsay (Applebylicious) for this WONDERFUL banner. I love ya, gurlie! You have NO idea!*

-Sarah


Chapter One – Memories

It seemed like forever to Liz when she eventually walked through the door of her home. The day had dragged on way too long for her liking. In her line of work this was a normal occurance. Being a police officer was tough work, and being an Undercover officer was even worse.

Half the time Liz never knew how long she was going to be on an assignment for. They could range somewhere between a few days to a few months, sometimes even a few years. So when she was able to actually come home to her own house and sleep in her own bed, it was a time of rejoycing.

Liz had been an Undercover officer for about 6 or so years, and she still loved what she did. Sure it was a dangerous profession, but so were a lot of jobs. At least with this Liz felt that she could make a difference, not only with other peoples lifes but on some level her own.

“God,” she said to herself as she walked into her kitchen to put the kettle on. “It’s good to be home.”

Making herself a cup of tea, she moved on into the lounge to sit down and read for awhile before she hit the sack. Liz loved reading, it was one of her favourite past times, so it was good to actually have some time to catch up on her reading.

“I wonder where Max is?” Liz thought to herself, it wasn’t like him not to be around when she got home. “He must be visiting the neighbours,” Liz decided.

After a few hours of relaxing and getting into the flow of actually being home Liz decided to go to bed. “Max can always let himself in”.

Not bothering to put her empty cup into the kitchen (she could always do it in the morning) Liz made her way to the bedroom. “I really need to change things around in here one of these days,” she thought. But knowing Liz that would never happen, something always came up.

Walking through to the washroom Liz did her nightly ritual of showering, cleaning her teeth, cleansing, toning and moisturising her face. Once she had finished she crawled into bed and drifted into the past.

Three years earlier……..

“Hey baby,” Max said to Liz as he walked into the kitchen where she was currently cooking dinner for the two of them.

“Hey sweetie,” Liz replied with a smile. “How were your classes today?”

“Long,” Max answered with a groan, but he had a huge smile plastered on his face. He may moan and groan about all the work he had to do at medical school but ever since he decided to leave the police force and go back to medical school he hadn’t been happier. And the fact that Liz was in his life, made everything even better. She had been a great support throughout the thing and it made the transition that much easier.

“Aww, my poor baby,” Liz said. “Sounds like my little Maxie need’s to de-stress tonight,” she added with a smile in her voice.

At that comment, Max seemed to perk up quite a lot. “Really? What are you planning to do to help me de-stress?” he replied with a sultry tone to his voice.

“Me? Who said I was going to do anything to help you.” Liz answered back. She had to turn her back to him when she said that, as she knew what kind of reply she was going to get from her fiancé and she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face when he said it.

“What?” he replied, his voice slightly louder then normal. “Are you going to leave me in my time of need?”

Trying not to laugh out loud Liz replied, “I’m sure you can handle it.”

Rising out of his chair Max came to stand behind Liz at the sink. Putting his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. He looked at her with his puppy dog eye’s, “please Liz, I’ll be your bestest friend and love you for ever and ever.”

Unable to control it any longer Liz burst out laughing, “how could I say no to a face like that.”

With a sheepish grin on his face Max just shrugged his shoulders, while placing a big sloppy kiss on her check. “You’re the best.”

“Yeah, yeah I know,” she answered while rolling her eyes at the same time.

“Hmm dinner smell’s good what ya cooking?” Max asking after taking a deep breath.

“Pasta and sauce. I know it’s not that interesting but work was so stressful I couldn’t bring myself to cook anything difficult.” Liz replied.

“Well pasta and sauce is fine with me babe, you know me I’m happy with anything you cook.”

“Thanks sweetie, that mean’s a lot.”

“No problem. I’m just going to wash up for dinner,” Max said while walking out of the kitchen.

“Okay, dinner should be reading any minute, can you set the table when you come back in?”

“Sure thing,” Max yelled back from the bathroom.

A couple of minutes later Max walked back into the kitchen to grab a couple of plates and cutlery to set the table.

“Did you want to have a bottle of wine with dinner, babe?” Max asked before he went into the dinning room to set the table?

“Um, yeah that would be nice. There’s a bottle of white in the fridge I think.” Liz replied.

“O’kay I’ll grab it after I set these up.” Walking into the dinning room Max couldn’t help but think again just how lucky he was to have Liz in his life. He really had his old Lieutenant to thank for that. If Valenti hadn’t of put Liz and himself together on that assignment then they wouldn’t be where they are now.

He walked back towards the kitchen and paused when he reached the door. Liz was currently transferring the pasta and sauce into a serving dish, to take to the table. Max just had to stand and stare. It always amazed him at just how perfect she was and the most amazing thing was that she didn’t even realise it.

“Max,” Liz yelled.

“Yeah,” he answered from behind her.

Jumping, Liz spun around to see Max standing at the kitchen doorway. “God you scared the crap out of me, how long have you been there for?”

“Only a few minutes, I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you in my life.”

“Not as lucky as I am,” she replied with a huge grin on her face. She walked over to Max grabbing his face with both hands and proceeded to kiss the breath out of him.

“Wow,” Max said when he was finally able to talk. “I guess I should say that more often.”

Laughing Liz whispered into his ear, “Maybe you should.”

“Let’s eat, I’m starved.”

“Sound’s good to me,” Max answered.


Snapping out of her flash back, Liz couldn’t help but wonder how things turned out the way they had. Her and Max were so happy back then, nothing could come between them, nothing.

Hearing the door to the bedroom open slightly Liz looked up to see Max walking in.

“There you are,” Liz said with a sad smile on her face. “Where have you been?”

Without saying a word Max climbed onto the bed curling into a ball at Liz’s feet.

Sitting up Liz leaned over and began to stroke Max’s fur coat. “At least I have one Max in my life,” she whispered into the darkness, silent tears running down her cheeks listening to the purr of her only companion.

TBC…………..

[abbs007]

Okay here's the new part everyone, thank you all so much for the wonderful feedback you have no idea how great it is for both me and Sarah to see such a great response.

A big thank you to Lindsay for the awesome banner, it's totally amazing.

Oh and on a side note, Sarah I had to post the unedited part cause I couldn't open your attachment (I have a Mac babe at times I can't open files done on a normal PC)

Anyway I hope you all enjoy.........


Chapter 2 – How paradise turned into a nightmare

It all started to go down hill not that long after that particular dinner. Liz still wasn’t too sure how it had all spiraled about of control as quickly as it had. Deep down she knew it was her, but she just couldn’t admit it to herself.

In the back of her mind she never truly believed that Max wanted to marry her. She always thought that the only reason Max proposed to her was out of fear. Fear of losing her, or a different kind of fear, she just wasn’t quite sure. And that insecurity caused Liz to question their relationship, and in time, ending it leaving Liz one lonely woman indeed.

Liz had no idea what Max was up to now, but she hoped that he was still in Medical School and that their breakup didn’t cause Max to turn his back on his only dream, a dream that he was finally starting to make come true. Liz didn‘t know much about Max‘s life anymore for the fact that she no longer lived anywhere near him. She couldn’t handle the thought of bumping into Max on the street one day, so she asked Valenti for a transfer. About three weeks later Liz found herself located in Vegas.
Even though they ended things three years ago she still couldn’t let go of Max. He was her one true love and no one would ever be able to take that place in her heart. All her friends thought it was time for her to move on, but she couldn’t. She’d tried dating once or twice, and that was only when she was set up or forced into it. But it never went past that first date; Liz would never let it. She always came up with an excuse not to see them again. Her friends eventually gave up on the idea of Liz dating, which is exactly what she wanted. To be left alone.

Without meaning to Liz began to think back to the day paradise became a nightmare….

“Thank you baby that was a great dinner,” Max told Liz after they had finished eating the quick pasta meal she cooked.

“you’re very welcome,” Liz replied with a hint of laughter in her voice. She had to stop herself from giggling at the remark Max made, cause he said the same thing after every meal she cooked. Even if it was a complete disaster.

“Well it was,” he said defensively hearing the laughter in her tone.

“It wasn’t that great Max, but thank you for saying so.”
“Well I guess it’s my turn to say ‘your very welcome’ back to you,” he said with a big cheesy grin on his face.

God he could be a goof at times, Liz thought. But she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I think you should go and put your feet up babe while I clean this up and clean the kitchen for you.” Max said while getting out of his chair.

“You don’t have to do that; I’ll help you.”
“No you won’t, it’s the least I can do since you cooked.”

“Yeah but you’ve been at school all day, and I know how much it takes out of you. You must be exhausted.” Liz tried to reason with him.

“Yes and you’ve been at work all day, and you don’t have to tell me how draining that is. Now go sit that cute ass of yours in the lounge and I’ll be with you before you know it.

“Okay, okay you win. But if you need any help just give us a shout okay.”
Standing to attention, Max saluted Liz while shouting “Sir, yes sir!”
“Ha, ha very funny smart-ass,” she shot back. Poking her tongue out she walked into the lounge.

Laughing to himself Max began clearing the table.

After 15 minutes or so, Max finally waltzed into the lounge. “All finished baby.” However, Max found Liz fast asleep on the couch. Chuckling to himself, he gathered Liz into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. Poor thing she wore herself out, he thought. I guess I won’t be getting any stress relief tonight.

Undressing Liz without accidentally waking her was a lot harder then he first thought. And for the first time since he had known her Max wished she didn’t wear such binding clothes. They stuck to her like a second skin. Finally he came to the conclusion just to leave the bloody things on her.

Moving the covers back from the bed, Max placed Liz in the middle and proceeded to tuck her in. When he was sure that she was comfortable and settled in he walked back into the lounge. Grabbing one of his medical books Max decided to get some studying done. Slumping back into the couch Max opened the book and began to read.

Meanwhile in the bedroom Liz was having an uneasy sleep. The thought that Max never truly wanted to marry her just wouldn’t leave her mind. She’d had the same thought going through her mind for over a week now. These thoughts caused her to have nightmares.

Having nightmares caused Liz to have a restless and broken sleep. Having a restless and broken sleep caused her to be tired and short towards people. Being tired and short towards people caused her to draw attention towards herself. Drawing attention towards herself was not something that Liz really needed or wanted at this particular time in her life.

Morning quickly came and Liz got out of bed only to find that Max wasn’t in it. Instead he was sitting out on the porch reading the morning paper.

“Hey baby, sleep well?” Max asked as he placed a gentle kiss upon her cheek.

“Yeah, sure,” Liz replied as she took a seat next to him and put her head in her hands.

“What’s wrong? Not feeling well?” Max asked, his voice laced with concern.

“I feel fine. I’m just...I just have a lot on my mind, okay?”

“Do you feel like sharing?”

“It’s not something you’d care to hear,” Liz mumbled before getting up and quickly making her way into the house.

Max looked from the spot that she had just been sitting at, and then to the door that she had just made her quick escape through. Something was definitely bothering her and he had an idea as to what it was. Max set the newspaper on the ground and then entered the house himself.

“Liz, what’s going on? And don’t tell me that it’s not something that I’ll want to hear. No secrets, remember?” Max said while taking a seat next to her on the couch.

Liz turned to face Max, and gently placed her hand upon his. “Why do you want to marry me?” She asked in a low voice.

Max’s mouth hung open for a moment before he quickly shot up and paced the ground in front of her. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Liz! We’ve been through this! Why do you keep doubting my love for you?”

Tears began to form in her eyes. “It’s not that I doubt your love for me, Max. It’s just that it’s so soon. We hadn’t been an item for that long, and keep in mind that you asked me to marry you right after you had been shot! How can I not think that this proposal was some kind of safety net?”

“Oh, God! We’re back to this again? I thought that we had moved past this! I mean, we’re happy aren’t we? I mean...last night everything was fine! What happened?” Max sat down on the coffee table and took a look at Liz. She had tears in her eyes but she also looked angry and frustrated. It was obvious that she had been holding all of this in for quite sometime now.

“Max, these things have been plaguing my mind for awhile now, I just haven’t brought them up with you. And I can’t help but think that the only reason you went back to medical school was for me.” Liz knew that this was a sore spot for him, but she refused to just drop the subject.

Max tensed and looked at Liz. “I thought we both came to that decision.”

“But that’s the thing Max, you only decided to go back to school after I had pretty much harassed you to the point of breaking.” Liz replied while taking her engagement ring off of her finger and placing it into the palm of his hand.

“What are you trying to say, Liz?” Max choked.

“It’s obvious that we’re not ready to get married, Max. Right now our lives aren’t even compatible! I mean, when I first met you, you didn’t back down from anything. You were strong willed and you went after the things that you wanted. You were just like me. The thing is, I know that your only in school because of me. You knew that you didn’t belong on the police force that you should have been a doctor but you were too chicken shit to do anything about it.” It pained Liz to say these things to him, but she knew it had to be said.

“So this is it? We’re over just like that?” Max cried. His past relationships had always ended because there were no feelings behind them, and here was the relationship that he had with the love of his life and it was going down the drain because he was too insecure to make the right decision. Go figure. He slowly stood from the spot that he had been sitting in and gently set the ring on the table. “Why don’t you hold onto that?” He said before making his way out the door and down to his car.

Tears continued to fall down Liz’s cheek as she stared at the ring sitting on the table. She then ran and threw herself onto her bed hoping that she had made the right decision.

………………………………………….

First thing in the morning Liz called Valenti requesting a meeting with him. All she told Valenti was that she had to discus something extremely urgent and she needed to see him as soon as she got to work. When she got to work Liz quickly made her way to Valenti’s office and shut the door behind her.

“What’s going on?” Valenti asked softly.

“Max and I broke up, end of story. Valenti, I have a favor I need to ask of you.”

“Sure, anything you need, Liz, I’m here for you.”

Liz smiled. Valenti had always acted like a father figure to her, and she sure was going to miss him when she was gone.

“I want to be transferred. I can’t stay here anymore and face the possibility of running into him on the street. Call me a coward if you will, but it will interfere with my work and to be quite honest with you, I’d like to live for at least another ten years.”

Valenti offered a pained smile. Leave it to Liz to be a smart-ass during times like these. “Is there any place in particular that you’d like to be transferred to?”

Liz shook her head. “No, sir. Any place away from here would be fine by me.”

“Well, we do have a request from the department over in Vegas for a new agent. I can guarantee lots of interesting assignments.”

“You mean Vegas, as in the same Vegas used in that show? That’s fine, Jim, but if I have to dress up as one of those Show Girls for an assignment then I’m flying back here just so I can kick your ass!”

“All right, it’s a deal. How soon do you want to leave?”

“Give me two days,” Liz replied as she walked out of the office and back out to her car. She stuck her key inside the ignition and turned it clockwise. “Good-bye, Max.” Liz said before heading back to there house to begin packing.


TBC................

[wearydreams2003]

Ha! See?! I'm not to blame! I'm really not! Anyway, before I post this I just want to say one thing. Don't hate either Max or Liz! Haha! Relationships are rocky. None are perfect otherwise what's the fun in that? And then you gotta consider it's me and Abby....so you know angst is sure to come! Anyway, this may cause more questions, but things will be going back and forth between past and present throughout this fic, so bear with us and we promise things will work out in the end. Maybe. Haha

BTW - There are some errors in this (spelling) so you guys can blame me for that one and not Abby. Haha. But only this once!

Chapter 3 – Bad News

“Dr. Evans to reception, paging Dr. Evan’s to reception.” Max sighed as he heard this over the intercom and wondered what they needed him for now. Technically Max was in his last year of Medical School, even though no one really considered last year’s as students. He was now a permanent resident on call 24 hours and day, having the odd day off here and there. And as he would say to anyone who questioned him, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Max ran towards the reception desk and said a few apologies as he gently bumped into some nurses.

Skidding to a halt right outside the front desk, a rather out of breath, but oh so sexy voice could be heard saying “you rang”.

Laughing at the flirtatious manner Max spoke with her, Sandra, the receptionist, replied coyly. “You know if Andrew heard you talk to me like that, then you’d be in big trouble mister.”

“You know you love it!” Max chuckled.

With a huge smile on her face, Sandra had to nod and agree with him on that one.

Sandra had been the receptionist of the hospital as long as Max had worked there, and had also been happily married for 40 years. At 62 years of age, Sandra was like a second mother to Max, always there whenever he needed a shoulder to cry on. “So what’s the emergency?” Max asked changing his attitude from being playful to more serious.

“You have a visitor,” Sandra replied, pointing to an elderly lady that was currently watching the television in the waiting area.

Turning around to where Sandra was pointing, Max was both surprised and ecstatic when he saw who was sitting there. “Mom!” He called.

This of course, caused the elderly lady to turn around and look at her son for the first time in what seemed to be ages. “Max,” she answered with the biggest smile Max had ever seen.

Unable to wait one more minute longer, Max rushed to his mother and wrapped her into his strong arms. “It’s so good to see you; I’ve missed you so much!” Max said with tears in his eyes. He hadn’t seen his mother in over 4 years, and now that he had her in his arms he never wanted to let her go.

“What are you doing here Mom?” Max questioned, pulling back a bit so that he could look into the face of the women who he had such fond memories off. “And where’s Dad, why isn’t he with you?” He added when he realized that his father wasn’t with her.

Diane looked at her son and tried to keep herself from breaking down in front of him. “I’m here by myself darling, your father couldn’t make it.”

“Why, what’s going on Mom? You don’t look too good.”

Taking a deep breath she replied, “Well, to be perfectly honest with you Max, I’m not doing the best.” Walking to one of the seats she sat down with her head in her hands, unsure on how to tell her beloved son. Looking up from her hands into the face of her son she continue to say, “ I’m really not sure how I can say this to you, Max.”

Squatting in front of his mother and taking both her hands into his Max reassured her saying “Mum you know you can tell me anything don’t you?”

Forcing a smile on her face, Dianne Evans replied, “I know I can sweetheart, and that’s why it’s so difficult to tell you. Max your father is extremely ill and the doctor’s aren’t sure if they can do much more to help him. Max, your father is dying.”

Shooting to his feet, Max started to pace back and forth. “Well, what’s wrong with him? How come this is the first I’ve heard about this? I mean, I could have helped couldn’t I?” Max rambled more to himself then to his Mother.

“I’m so sorry we didn’t tell you sooner, Max, but you know what your father’s like. He hates to admit defeat, and admitting that he was truly sick in his eyes was defeat.”

Nodding, Max thought back to what his Dad used to drill into his brain whenever he had a chance. ‘Never show a weakness son, never show defeat.’ And by the sounds of it, his father was willing to stick to that saying until the day he died.

Turning back towards his mom, Max sat on the seat next to her. “Where are you staying?”

“In the Motel around the corner from here, it’s not the prettiest place I’ve ever stayed at, but it’ll do.”

“Don’t be stupid, you’ll come stay at my place and I won’t hear another word about it,” Max demanded before Dianne could have a chance to deny the offer.

“Okay, that would be lovely Max,” Dianne answered knowing that there was no way Max would have it any other way.

“Now I’ve got to go back to work, but I should be finished around 6 tonight. How about you go back to the Motel and get your stuff packed. Give Sandra a call here at reception and leave her the details of the Motel you’re staying at. I’ll grab the details when I’ve finished and come pick you up. Sound like a plan?” Max questioned.

“That’s sounds fine sweetheart, I’ll see you tonight then.”

Walking his mother to the door, Max said his farewell and watched her until she had gone around the corner. Walking up to Sandra, Max asked if she could page him if he was needed. He then turned and went into one of the room’s designated for the residents if any of them wanted a quiet place to sleep if they were on a 24-hour bender.

As soon as Max closed the door behind him he burst into tears.

*************************

Max sat on his couch and thought back to yesterday. Liz was so quick to dismiss him and he had no idea what to do now. She was the love of his life and she just dropped him as if her were a piece of trash. Well, he’d no longer think about it. If Liz didn’t want him, then he didn’t want her either. He could play these games better than anyone ever could. A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts, and he slowly stood up to answer it. When he opened it, he was shocked to see Liz standing there, soaking wet due to the rain.

“What are you doing here?” He questioned, his voice as cold as the evening air.

“I came to talk, can I come in?” Liz replied while looking down. She was so ashamed for the way that she had treated him, and she was hoping that she’d be able to make things right again.

Max didn’t say a word and just stepped aside instead. He then closed the door and followed Liz to the couch. He took a seat next to her, and she turned and looked at him.

“Max, about yesterday...”

“You were completely right,” Max interrupted. “You and I are on two very different paths, and I just couldn’t see that before.”

“I was going to say that I was wrong, Max. I let my insecurities take over and I wasn’t thinking straight. Max, I don’t care what path I’m on as long as it’s one that has you in my life. I love you more than anything, and I know that I messed up, but can you forgive me?” Tears formed in Liz’s eyes, as Max appeared to be unaffected. If anything, he only seemed more angered and distant.

“I’m sorry, Liz, but I can’t forgive you. What you said was completely true, but you left out one little fact. And that’s the fact that you’re a contradictive little witch. You run hot and cold with me and continuously try to place blame on me. But when was the last time that you stopped and tried to place some of the blame onto yourself? When was the last time that you thought that maybe you were the problem? Oh no, heaven forbid perfect little Elizabeth Parker do anything wrong. I mean, this is the girl who’s always known what she’s wanted to do, and doesn’t like somebody who is indecisive. Well, let me tell you something, honey, I may be indecisive, but right now I know for a fact that I don’t want to take you back.”

Tears were flowing freely down Liz’s cheek and she tried to muffle her sobs. How could Max say this to her? How could he be so cruel? She knew that she had a few things coming, but hearing them come from Max they way that they had was too much for her to take, and she quickly ran out of his apartment and ran down the street to her car.

Max looked out the window and saw Liz fall to her knees, holding her head in her hands. He knew that he had hurt her, and for awhile there he thought that it would make him feel better, but all it really did was make him feel even worse. Liz had hurt him, and he had wanted to hurt her back. However, from the looks of things, he hadn’t just hurt her; he had devastated her. What was his problem anyway? This was the girl that he was madly in love with, and she came back to apologize to him! To try and make things right again! And what did he do? He just pushed her even further away from him by bringing out even more of her insecurities. Max opened the door and called out her name. When she turned around and saw him, she began to shake even harder and quickly ran to her car.

*************************

“Valenti! I need to talk to Liz, where is she?” Max asked as he ran into the station the next day.

“I’m sorry, Evans, but she’s gone.”

“Gone? What do you mean gone?” Max questioned.

“Liz requested a transfer and she took up an offer from another department. She leaves in two days.”

“That’s all you had to say! I’ll just go over to her place and talk to her!” Max quickly replied and began to head towards the door.

Valenti shook his head and looked at Max. Evans and Parker were always his favorite agents, and now here they both were heartbroken and unhappy. However, he owed it to Liz not to tell Max where she was. “Sorry Evans, she moved out an hour ago.”

“Where did she go?” Max demanded.

“I have specific orders not to tell anyone, sorry kid.”

“Sorry? You’re sorry?” Max yelled. “Tell me where she is, or I swear to God!” Max threatened.

“You swear to God, what? Evans, I suggest that you leave the premises while you still can. Don’t make me arrest you.”

Max shook his head and finally accepted the sounds of defeat. Liz was gone and he was never going to see her again. And the worst part of it all? It was his own damn fault.

[abbs007]

Hey everyone, okay first off I'd just like to say sorry for not updating this in ages but I've had a really bad time with RL as of late so writing has been the last thing on my mind. But I have slowly (and I mean slowly) been writing the next chapter, so just letting you know that I haven't given up on this completly!!

Oh and I got Runner Up at Land of Dreams for

Writer Who Procrastinates the Most

[abbs007]

I know it's been like a lifetime since I last updated this but I finally got around to doing it. I just hope that there are people that still want to read this. Oh it hasn't been seen by my beta so if it sucks that's my fault!!! lol

Anyway enough of that crap on with the show.........



Chapter 4 – Back to Work

Monday morning came too quickly in Liz’s opinion; her journey back into the past didn’t exactly allow the best night’s sleep (if you can imagine). So when she finally dragged herself into the office she wasn’t in the happiest of moods. And to make matters even worse lying on her desk was her next job assignment, and believe you me it’s wasn’t something that Liz was overly keen to do.

This oh so wonderful new assignment had Liz posing as a down and out Stripper name KiKi Blossom, who has been working at clubs from the age of 16. A runaway who was looking for a quick buck. KiKi is going to be transferred to the biggest and most talked about Strip Joint in Las Vegas.

There have been rumors of an underground fighting ring hidden inside the club. Every night two men fight to the death while very rich and powerful people come by the hundreds to beat and watch this savagery. Usually the men who fought inside this ring, were not what you would call “fights” in any form. No they were men who had to fight to survive, prisoners of their own greed, biting off way too much to swallow. You see the head honcho, the big boss man was none other then Tony Fingers.

Tony “Fingers” Bonetelli ran the Vegas branch of the American Mafia “Family”. Tony was not a man you wanted to get involved with, let alone ask a favor from and not have the means of re-paying the debt. Tony was known to take one finger at a time from the men who were unable to met the terms Tony expected as payment for his services. He would take a finger a day until he had gotten his payment in full. This little habit not only earned him the name “Fingers” but it also brought him to the attention of the man known as the ”Godfather” the late John Gotti. This in turn lead to his current role within the family.

Tony also loved his women, and what better way then opening the biggest/best Strip Club in town. And as an added bonus the money poured in by the millions. He’d found a way to make a huge amount of money all above board, making him a very hard man to pin anything to. Not only was he a cold blooded killer he was also the smartest prick around. You can’t arrest a man for running a business and a very successful business at that. The Las Vegas police force had been waiting for the day Tony finally slipped up and to their delight that day had finally arrived.

It seemed that not all of the members of the family were huge fans of Tony and the way he ran his business. Sure he got the job done, but why torture a man when a bullet the head/heart/groin would do the same thing. Tony enjoyed that side of the business just a little too much, and someone that unstable in the head can one day become your biggest nightmare. His actions upset certain members enough that they leaked enough information to finally put Tony away for life.

This much to Liz’s fear is where she came in. At 28, Liz was a seasoned Undercover agent, having brought down criminals that no-one imaged could be brought down they seemed to be untouchable. And on top of having so much knowledge and skill she had a body to die for.

No-one in the Las Vegas area even came close to Liz. She had legs that seemed to go on forever, and these legs joined to the rest of her unbelievable body. Naturally a small lady, the years of physical combat had toned her upper body to perfection. Being only 5’2 and a teeny size 2, you would expect Liz to have the breasts of a 12 year old (non existent). But God must have been in love with Liz from the get go because she had been blessed with the most perfect set of 36C cup breasts ever seen. Pretty much what any female would kill to have, Liz had naturally.

A face of an angel with a set of eyes that could see into anyone’s soul, Liz was the essence of everything feminine. And in typical Liz manner didn’t even know it.

Having spent most of her life bouncing from one foster home to another always afraid to close her eyes in fear of what would happen to her if she did, it kind of made Liz see herself in a totally different way to the rest of the world.

It took Liz along time before she could look into a mirror and not hate the reflection that was looking back at her. Even now Liz wasn’t comfortable inside her own skin. The only time she ever truly felt at peace and normal was when she was with Max. When she walked away from him she walked away from the one thing that made her feel human.

Now she had to become everything she hated and despised in this world and the one thing she promised herself she would never become again. An object for men to pet and fondle only there for their enjoyment. But this was the career she had chosen to follow and she wouldn’t let this particular assignment crumble the brick wall she had built around her already broken heart.

After reading all the information she had been given as a prep Liz decided to give her old mate Lieutenant Valenti a quick call and thank him once again from transferring her to the big light of Vegas.

“Valenti” came the reply when Liz was finally put through to his office.

“Jim, my old friend how the hell are ya,” Liz answered back in a manner that was so unlike Liz.

This was the first thing that told Jim she wasn’t happy about something and the second thing that made him sure was that she called him Jim. In all the years that they had known and worked with each other, she had only ever called him Lieutenant or Valenti. Bracing himself for the tongue lashing that he was sure to get Jim answered meekly “Why Liz this is a pleasant surprise, I didn’t expect to hear from you today. I’m doing great actually as is Isabel. How are you? How’s everything going in good old Vegas?”

“I’m pleased you asked actually. Do you remember what you said to me that day when you were organizing my transfer all those years ago?” she asked in a sickly sweet voice.

“Um, as I recall. I said that Las Vegas was pretty much a ghost town where not much happened as everyone was too obsessed with the night life to do anything. Let alone do something that would require you to go outside your comfort zone as an undercover agent. What’s going on Liz?” Jim replied starting to get worried after she asked him that question.

“Let me tell you a little story okay Jim, oh and I suggest you get comfortable because it’s not exactly a short one…… so Liz proceeded to tell Jim Valenti exactly what she had been assigned to do. When she had finally finished Jim was fighting back a waterfall of tears. Being one of a selected few that actually knew anything about Liz’s past, he knew that this new assignment would either make her the strongest person he will ever know or it would break her to the point of no return. She would never recover from it.

“My God, what have I done?” Jim whispered softly to himself as he listened to Liz crying on the other end of the phone. “I am so sorry Liz, if I hadn’t of picked that stupid city none of this would have happened. You can’t do this assignment Liz, you and I both know what it will do to you.” Jim pleaded.

“I have to,” Liz cried back. “Don’t you get it, this is who I am. I am the job that’s all I know, all I’ve ever wanted to know or be for that matter. I chose this life over a normal life I might have had with the only man I will ever love. If I don’t do this then I lost Max for nothing and I would never forgive myself,” she sobbed.

All Jim could do was say over and over again that it wasn’t all for nothing, it’s wasn’t all for nothing until Liz had cried herself out.

After making sure that was going to be okay he finally let her go. As he hung up the phone the tears that had been waiting to escape silent started to stream down his face. Without a second thought he picked up the phone again and dialed the one person he never thought he would talk to again.

“Hello,” a voice answered causing years memories Jim had tried in vain to forget to come flooding back. Cutting all communication with this person had been one of the hardest things Jim had ever had to do, knowing that it was all for the best. However, Jim hadn’t stopped communication completely. Jim made sure that he knew exactly where to find them just for such an instance, and also Jim needed to know that they were safe and living the life Jim had always dreamed they would one day lead.

Taking a deep breath Jim tried to compose himself, opening his mouth Jim finally returned the opening greeting “Max ………….”

TBC

[wearydreams2003]

Hey Everyone!!!

Abby actually left this chapter for me to do, and look! I actually finished it ON TIME! Lmao' But now I can't stop. How sad. Lol' Anyway, this chapter kind of went back a little bit from where the last one ended. I wanted to show what was going on right before Max got the phone call from Jim...so I hope that it's not too confusing. And please don't kill me for any mistakes you see in this chapter. I was under pressure! Hope you all like, and Abby and I thank you for the feed back!

-Sarah


Chapter 5 - Hells Women


Max watched his mother hang up the phone and burst into tears.

“Mom? What’s wrong?”

Dianne took a seat on the couch and cradled her head in her hands.

“It’s your father, Max. The hospital just called...he passed away an hour ago. A fucking hour and they didn’t call me until now to tell me!”

Max fell to his knees and shut his eyes. His father was dead, and he didn’t even get to say goodbye. Funny how this was becoming more and more common throughout his life. People leaving without giving him a chance to say farewell. However, Max refused to cry. He knew that his mother needed him to be strong, and that was exactly what he was going to be.

“Mom,” Max said as he stood up and walked in front of her, pulling her into a hug. “I’m going to call a cab and you’re going to get on the first flight back home.”

“What?” His mother choked? “You’re not coming with me?”

“It’s not as easy as that, mom. Don’t you think I want to go? Don’t you think that I want to set up my own father’s funeral? To make sure that everything goes as smooth as possible? To be there to say goodbye as they are laying him to rest? But I can’t just pack up and leave right now. I’m going to go down and talk to the hospital and see when the soonest possible time is that I can go down and join you, okay?”

Dianne nodded as she wiped at her eyes. How her son could remain so calm, she would never know. She walked to her bedroom and grabbed her suitcase.

“I’m just going to wait downstairs for the cab, okay? I think I could use some fresh air.”

Max hugged his mom before she left the apartment, leaving him to make the call. Once Max hung up with the Cab Company, his phone rang.

“Hello?” There was silence on the other end. “Hello?” Max repeated.

“Max...” A voice said.

“What in the hell do you think you’re doing, calling me? Especially now, after all of this time?” Max practically yelled.

“Max, it’s not like that-”

“It’s not like what, Jim?” Max interrupted. “I’ll tell you what it’s like. Three years ago Liz left and you refused to tell me where she went. Okay, I can deal with that. You were respecting her wishes. However, after that day you completely lost contact with me. You wouldn’t take my calls, and you would never so much as write a letter letting me know that you were still alive! I could have used a friend then, Jim! You were always like family to me, and you left me out in the cold. So tell me, dear friend, why did you decide to call me now?”

“Max, about that...I never meant to hurt you. I had my reasons for cutting off our lines of communication. I just felt like I’d be betraying Liz if I continued to talk to you, and this way if she asked me if I heard from you, I wouldn’t have to lie to her.” Jim tried desperately to explain.

“I really don’t want to hear it,” Max said as he sat on the couch. “You were worried about betraying her, but didn’t give a rat’s ass about me. I got it.”

“It’s not like that! I always knew where you were, what you were doing, and if you needed help! I’ve always been keeping an eye on you.”

“Really? Did you know that my father was sick? Did you know that he died about an hour ago?”

The line went silent.

“Come on, Jim! Cat got your tongue? My father died an hour ago, and here I am on the phone with you! So tell me, what’s the real reason for this call?”

“Fine, Max...you want to know? We have an agent undercover in Las Vegas. She’s posing as a stripper, Kiki Blossom. She’s working in this strip club owned by a man that they call Tony Fingers. However, this isn’t just some strip club. Tony also has a fighting ring going on under his club. Every night two men fight to their death while people place bets on who will come out on top. This is a very dangerous assignment, and I’m not sure that our agent will make it out alive. You are the only person who has been in situations this bad, and has been able to make it out alive. We need you to go in and extract our agent.”

“Jim, I’m sorry,” Max sighed. “I’m a Doctor now. I left that kind of a life years ago, and I’m not going back. I hope everything works out in the end, I really do.”

“Max, wait! Look, the undercover agent is Liz. I’m scared, Max. I’m scared that this will be the last assignment that she’ll ever have. You know her, she’s always getting in over her head and this time is no different. She refuses to leave the case. She says that she’s never backed down and that she won’t start now.”

If Jim were able to see Max now, then he’d know just how visibly shaken he was at the moment. Although Max hadn’t seen Liz for three years now, he still loved her very much. There’s not a day that goes by when he doesn’t think about her and wonder where she’s at.

“Max? Are you still with me?” Jim questioned.

“Look, I’ll have to sleep on it. Give me a call tomorrow, Jim.” Max said before hanging up.

He stood up and took a look around the living room. Just how much could one person endure in a day? First he looses his father, and now he may loose Liz too? Max shook his head to clear his thoughts and then walked to his room. He grabbed a suitcase and quickly began filling it with clothes. Ten minutes later he was in his car and driving to the airport.
Max took out his cell phone and dialed some numbers.

“Willow Springs, how may I direct your call?”

“Sandra, can you connect me to Dr. Asonde, please?”

“Sure, one moment.” She replied as she put him on hold.

“Matt speaking,” a voice said.

“Matt, it’s Max. Look, I’m flying out to Vegas tonight and I have no idea when I’ll be back.”

“Max, this is really short notice. I swear...if you’re flying out there to get a quickie marriage like Britney Spears did, then so help me God! Wait a minute! You’re not are you? Look man, if you are then I’ll save you the trouble. Just give me the money that you would pay for an annulment, and I’ll write you up a fake little certificate myself!”

“No, Matt, I’m not flying out there to get married. I’m flying out there to keep someone from getting killed. Think you can cover for me?”

“Hey, you do what you gotta do. You just better be glad that you happen to be friends with the boss.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Max replied.

“You just be careful out there, and I’ll see you when you come back.”

“Will do, Matt.” Max replied before hanging up the phone.

A few hours later Max was settled in his hotel room and changing into a pair of jeans, dark blue button up t-shirt, and a pair of Nike sneakers. He then grabbed his wallet, put it in his back pocket, and headed out toward his rental car.

Max had called Jim and informed him that he was already in Vegas, and was ready to look for Liz. Jim had sighed in relief and told Max the name and location of where it was that she was undercover. Now all he had to do was think of something to say once he bumped into her. Max quickly jumped in his car and took off.

“Hi, Liz...remember me?” Max shook his head. That wouldn’t work too well.

“I’m baaack!” No, that wouldn’t do either. That was something that you’d expect to hear in some cheesy horror film.

“So, you’re a stripper now? And how is that better than being with me?” Max hit his head against the car window. Apparently this was going to be harder than he had originally thought it would be.

Max quit trying to figure out what he was going to say as he neared Hells Women, home of the hottest strippers. He made a right into the parking lot and took it straight to valet. He then handed the guy his car keys and threw on his baseball cap before entering the building.

It smelled like sex, and Max wondered if this was indeed a strip joint or a prostitution ring. Apparently it was both, because Max then saw a scantly dressed woman leading a man into a dark room by his belt loop. The man handing the woman a hundred dollar bill before loosening his belt. Max shook his head as he walked up to a bouncer.

“You know where I can find Kiki?” He asked.

“Who wants to know?” A deep voice replied.

“A customer who prefers to see Kiki,” Max said as he slipped the guy some money.

The guy looked down at the bill and was apparently pleased with the offer. “Have a seat and I’ll bring her to you.”

Max nodded as he sat at the edge of the sofa. He kept his head low that way the baseball cap hid most of his face. He didn’t need Liz to freak the moment she saw him and blow her cover. A few moments later Kiki was thrown into the room with Max as the door was shut behind her.

“Look, I don’t know who you are, but this isn’t Albertson’s. I don’t have preferred customers. I’m not sure what you’re used to, but I’m on display only. I don’t do private shows, and I don’t sell myself. I can get you another girl if that’s what you’re looking for.”

Max took that moment to look up and take a good look at Liz.

“Max?” She questioned. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for an old friend. Why are you trying to get yourself killed?” Apparently that was the wrong way to start the conversation, because the next thing he knew, a shoe was flying toward his head.

*Just had to add, I know it's getting a bit angsty, but there will be a lot of that in this fic. We will also be exploring some of the things that go on in the strip club itself, as well as the underground fight club. We will be sure to warn you guys before that chapter comes out, but we will be moving into some unknown territory very soon. Don't ya love me? -S&A*

[wearydreams2003]

Okay, so here it is! I hope you all enjoy, and Abby and I really appreciate the feed back you guys! We're thrilled that you like the general direction that this fic is going in, and we can promise lots of good things to come. Look for my other note at the end of this post!

-Sarah


Chapter 6 - Vincent Carthrow


Max quickly moved to the side and was able to avoid getting hit by the flying shoe.

“What in the hell was that for?” Max asked as he sat on the arm of the chair.

“You have no right to just show up and assume that I’m going to get myself killed. You know nothing about me,” Liz said as she came and sat down across from him. “I know what the hell I’m doing, thank you.”

“I know nothing about you? Ha, that’s funny!” Max yelled. “I do believe that I know a lot about you, if I were to say so myself.”

“Keep your voice down!” Liz hissed. “Are you trying to blow my cover? And no, you don’t know a damn thing about me!”

Max shook his head and stood up. It wasn’t too long ago when he and Liz were everything to each other. He was the only one that understood her, and she was the only one to ever understand him.

“But I do know you, Liz. You’re 28 years old, never had a place to truly call home as you were growing up, and always loved being an undercover agent. Your work is your life and the only thing that you ever considered stable. Jim is the only person you ever considered a father figure, and you never back down from a case. Even when it could end in your death. So go ahead, say I don’t know you, but I know the truth.”

Tears began to form in Liz’s eyes, but she quickly blinked them away.

“No, that was the old me. The stupid, naive Elizabeth Parker. I’m a different person now, Max. And I don’t give a shit what you say.” Liz walked over and stood in front of Max. “So tell me the real reason why you’re here.”

Max looked straight into Liz’s eyes as he began to speak. “Jim called me and told me he was worried about you. He told me about the case, and how he didn’t think you were going to make it out alive. After the call, I got on a plane and here I am.”

Liz shook her head before crouching down to her knees. “Leave it to Jim to call you up and ask you to come and rescue me! I wish he would just butt out! And here you are, my knight in shining, fucking armor ready to get me out of a mess. Well guess what, Max? I’m not going home, so you ought as well just leave!”

Max reached down and grabbed Liz by the arm, pulling her back up to her feet.

“Don’t you dare talk about Jim like that! Do you hear me? Do you know what he did for you? Do you? After you moved here, he cut all lines of communication with me because he thought he’d be betraying you if he continued to talk to me! So don’t you dare disrespect him like that! He cares about you, and doesn’t want you to die from working on a case! Don’t you get it? He’s the one that sent you out here, and he’d feel responsible if something were to happen to you.” Max released Liz’s arm and took a step back. “As for me, I’m not some knight, but I did drop a hell of a lot to come out here and help, so don’t be such a bitch.”

Liz slapped Max across the face, leaving a red handprint across his left cheek.

“I never asked Jim to be a father to me, so don’t get all high and mighty on me. Second of all, I don’t care what you dropped to come out here, because I didn’t need your help in the first place! You can go back home to mommy and daddy for all I care!”

As soon as these words escaped Liz’s mouth, Max pushed her up against a wall and cornered her.

“I would never complain about having Jim as a father, if I were you. As for me, I don’t have a daddy to run home to, so watch it. Now you and I may not have been on good terms for a few years, but I refuse to let two people who are either close to me, or were close to me, die within a matter of a week. So you can keep saying what you want, but if you refuse to just drop the case then it looks like you’ve got a new partner, because I refuse to leave!”

Max backed away and sat on the couch while Liz continued to shake a bit. She had never been cornered in a wall, and she didn’t like it. However, she also felt like an ass for saying what she did to Max. She had never expected to see him again and now here he was, standing two feet away from her. Apparently she wasn’t as over him as she thought she was. But no matter how much she may still feel for him, she would never let him know. Those doors had been shut and locked three years ago when he said the things that he did.

“I’m sorry, Max. I had no idea. When did your father pass away?”

“Just a couple of hours ago,” Max replied.

Liz’s eyes widened at his response. “Then why are you here, and not comforting your mother? Or setting up arrangements for your father?”

“Because there’s not much else I can do for my father, now is there? He’s dead. However, you’re still alive for the time being, and I figured I’d be more useful over here. Enough about that. I’m here for the case, and the case only. My job is simple. Help you get out of here as soon as possible. And if that’s only going to happen once we make a bust, then we need to get to work.”

“But I thought you weren’t on the force anymore?” Liz asked confused. She had thought that Max gave up his life of being an undercover agent to pursue his dream. Had she been wrong all this time?

“I’m not,” Max replied. “I’m currently working in Willow Springs hospital. However, I still know a thing or two about being an agent, so when Jim called, I took the first flight out of town. I may not be on the force anymore, but it’s in my blood. It’s not something that I just forget how to do.”

Liz nodded her head in understanding.

“I want you to go back out and do whatever it is that you’re doing, and I want to check out this underground fight club. Do you know where I can access it from?”

“Yes, I do. When you leave this room, make a right and go down about 50 feet. There you’ll see a man slouched over in a chair. Nothing suspicious. Many people just assume that he’s some drunk. Slip him a hundred dollar bill as you walk by, but don’t stop. You just want to drop it on his lap. After you do, make a left and walk down the dark hallway. There you’ll see a storage room and some restrooms. Walk into the storage room and wait. The man on the chair will give you about a minute before he hits a button. When he hits the button, the floor in the storage room will drop, acting as an elevator. That elevator will take you down to the fight club.”

“Okay,” Max said as he began to walk out the door. However, Liz stopped him and whispered in his ear.

“Max, be careful. I don’t know what goes on down there, but I do know that it’s very dangerous. Remember, you’re supposed to be rescuing me...not the other way around.”

Max smiled as he left the room, and made a right. He put his hat back on top of his head and then took some money out of his wallet. He threw the bill down on the drunken guy’s lap and then made an immediate left. He found the storage room a short time later and walked through the door. A few seconds later, the elevator started to make its way down.

The floor was quite big and could hold about twenty people at a time. Max looked to his upper left and noticed a small camera that had been set there. He made a mental note of it as the elevator came to a halt. Max stepped off and took a look around. The room was big. You could easily fit 200 or so people in the area comfortably. In the middle was a caged room with electric currents running though it. It was obviously meant to keep people in, which told him that the people fighting were doing so because they had to. Not because they wanted to. Off to the right was the betting area, and to the left was the area that people could sit and watch.

“I haven’t seen you around before, kid. What’s your name?”

Max turned around and came face to face with a man who was twice his size and a foot taller than he was.

“The name’s Vincent Carthrow, but everyone calls me Vinny. Who are you?”

“People around here call me Tony Fingers. I’m the one who runs this joint,” the man replied. “Now who are you, and why are you here? I don’t deal with new faces very well.”

Max tilted his head to the side as he shrugged. “Look, I just came down here to place a few bets, watch some people shed some blood, and look to get laid. But if you don’t want my money, then I’ll go somewhere else. I wasn’t that impressed anyway.” Max turned to walk away but Tony stopped him.

“Follow me, kid. I got something I want to show you.”

Max nodded his head as he began to follow Tony to the back of the fight club. There Tony stuck a key into the wall and Max watched as a door opened up out of nowhere. Tony stepped through to the other side and Max followed. Once he was inside, the door behind him slammed shut, and Tony laughed.

“I’ve got some shit in this place that you’ve never even heard of.” Tony said as the lights above them began to flicker on. “Take a seat, get comfortable.”

Max took a seat and looked at the hundred or so television screens that surrounded him. Each screen showed a different part of the club, and Max took a deep breath at what he saw on one of the screens. There, on the screen directly in front of him, was a man trying to feel his way up on Liz. She seemed to be struggling as the man hit her across the face and threw her down onto a bed. He then climbed on top of her and began tearing off her shirt, roughly grabbing at her breasts in the process.

“Like what you see?” Tony asked as he took a seat next to Max. “I have a camera in every room at my club, and I like to watch what goes on. I saw you with Kiki. Apparently she didn’t like what you had to offer.”

Max wanted nothing more than to reach over and punch Tony across the jaw, but he was undercover and had to keep up his front.

“She just hasn’t gotten to know me yet,” Max replied.

“You can buy her, you know?” Tony said as he watched the man on screen begin to rip at Kiki’s skirt. “We don’t do it often, but if a man wishes to buy one of our girl’s, he can do so for a hefty fee and know that no other man can touch her while she’s at work. She then becomes a display item, only able to be touched by the man that owns her.”

“How much?” Max said through gritted teeth.

“For Kiki, $50,000. She’s not the best at bringing in new clients, so I really don’t mind selling her.”

“I’ll do it,” Max said as he began to write on a piece of paper. “But you have to get her out of that room now. I don’t want this man’s leftovers.”

Tony nodded his head as he made a call, and a few seconds later Max watched as a few men broke into the room and took Liz out.

“Here’s my account number,” Max said as he handed Tony the paper. “Do a wire transfer so you see that you get your money.”

Tony smiled as he took the paper from Max, and walked over to a computer. A few minutes later Tony handed the paper back to Max and smiled.

“I like you, Vinny. You know how to do business the right way.” Tony watched as the door opened and a man came dragging Kiki in behind him. “Here you go, Vinny, she is now your property as promised.”

“I am nobody’s property!” Liz yelled as she saw Max. She slipped him a questioning look before yelling, “You again? Why in the hell don’t you just leave me alone?”

“Kiki, my dear, come here.” Tony said as held open his arms. Liz ran into his embrace and looked up at him. “You now belong to Mr. Carthrow, okay? It’s only while you are here at work, but if I hear any arguments then you know what will happen, right?”

Liz nodded her head as Tony let her go.

“I’m off in two minutes anyway, so I guess I won’t be needed anymore?” Liz questioned.

Tony didn’t answer her with words, but just pushed her towards the door.

“I should probably get going too,” Max said as he watched Tony look up at the screens.

“Come by tomorrow, Vinny. I’d like to talk to you about something.”

Max nodded his head as he too left the room. He then walked back toward the elevator and waited to be taken back up to the top floor. Once he reached his destination, Max walked outside and hopped in his car. He quickly took off and went to the gas station that he was supposed to meet Liz at.

“What in the hell was that all about?” Liz asked as Max stepped out of his car.

“Tony invited me into his security room, and I saw you on the screen. He told me that I could buy you for $50,000 and make sure that no other man could touch you while you were at work. I said okay, gave him the account number with the funds that the agency gives us, and he withdrew his money. Liz, why didn’t you try and stop that man from doing what he did?”

“Because he works for Tony, Max! He came in, told me that he was going to make it look like he was forcing himself on me, and that he would kill me if I didn’t comply! Shit!” Liz yelled. “Do you think this was set up, Max? Do you think he knows that we know each other?”

“Well, he saw us on screen earlier. My guess is that he doesn’t know anything otherwise he would have killed us when we were both in his office. He wants me to meet him again tomorrow, so I’ll try and find out more then.”

Liz shook her head. “No.”

“What?” Max questioned.

“I said, no. Max, you’re no longer on the force! You can’t go back into a situation where you could get yourself killed! It isn’t right! I don’t care if you made a promise to Jim or not. This is my line of work, not yours.” Liz said as she took a seat on a nearby bench.

“Liz, I appreciate the concern, but I’m not leaving. I know what I’m doing, and the only way I’m leaving is if you are too. I made a promise to Jim that I would get you out alive, and I plan on keeping my promise. If you weren’t so bullheaded then you’d just drop the case yourself! But we both know that that’s not going to happen, so we need to start learning to work together! Otherwise, we’re both going to get killed, and then I’m really going to be pissed!”

Liz laughed at Max’s attempt of a joke.

“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Liz asked as Max sat in his car.

“I’m going to go back to my hotel, and you’re going to come with.” Liz was about to protest when Max interrupted her. “I have two bedrooms, Liz. I trust this Tony guy as far as I can throw him, and that’s about half of a foot. So you’re going to stay where there’s strength in numbers, and we’ll try to come up with a plan before we go back there tomorrow.”

“God I hate it when you start to give orders,” Liz said as she took off the red wig that was sitting on top of her head.

“Oh, and why’s that?”

“Because they always seem to make sense!” Liz replied before she got into her car and followed Max back to his hotel.


*Just so you guys are aware...Max and Liz will not be getting back together soon. I mean, it's me and Abby! There's gotta be tension, and anticipation! It's gotta happen after some other things happen! Lol' And Tony will be around for awhile. Look out for the next chapter sometime next week!*

[abbs007]

Okay here's the new part, sorry it's so short but I just really wanted to get something out. Both Sarah and I appreciate all the feedback that we have been getting, Thank you all so much. Okay on with the show.....


Chapter 7 - Fireworks

When Max and Liz arrived back to the hotel room they both sighed in relief. At one time in their lives it was the most natural thing in the world to be together, but the short elevator ride up to the room that Max was staying in soon proved to the both of them that times had surely changed.

“So….” Max started to say, suddenly at a loss for words. Now that they were away from the club and no longer playing the roles of Kiki and Vinny, Max had no idea what to say to Liz.

“So, what?” Liz barked, snapping Max out of the black hole that he seemed to be stuck in. He may not know what to say to Liz, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t fight with her.

Whipping his head around to face her, Liz was suddenly very scared to be in the same room with Max. The only other time that she had ever seen this look of anger on his face was the day that she tried to come back and apologize to him. “I was trying to think of something nice to say if you must know,” Max hissed back. “But it looks like that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. So let’s cut to the chase shall we? I want to know everything there is to know about Tony and the ring he’s running. I don’t want anything popping up later that could put us both in jeopardy.”

Turning away from Liz, Max proceeded to walk into the living room and plop himself down onto the couch. It was going to be a long night and Max didn’t want to stand in the hallway for most of it. “You coming, or are you going to stand there all night?” Max yelled from the couch.

Mumbling to herself, Liz slowly dragged her tired body towards the living room, all the while preparing herself for the grilling that she was about to get. The infamous Max Evans was back in full force.

Planting herself down onto one of the chairs opposite Max, Liz sighed. “Where do you want to start?”

“Let’s start from the beginning shall we? How long has this little fighting ring been going on for, and better yet, why hasn’t the force done anything about it until now?”

“Didn’t Jim brief you before you left for Vegas?” Liz asked rather irritated.

“He gave me some of the basic information, but I didn‘t hear much. Coming out here to help out was kind of a last minute decision from my end. Besides, I want to hear it from you.” Max replied sounding just as irritated as Liz. He didn’t want to fight with her, but it seemed to him that she wasn’t going to be satisfied until they started with the yelling.

“Fine….” Liz drawled. “From the information that was provided to us, Tony had the plan of the fighting ring from the get go. Once he had the club up and running, it wasn’t too long before his other “hobby” was in full swing. It‘s been around for about four years now. As for the force not getting involved until now, what in the hell were they supposed to do? As far as anyone could see, Tony was running a legitimate business. His cover as the owner of a Strip Club was air tight, and there was nothing anyone could do. Until now, that is. It seems that some of Tony’s associates weren’t his biggest fans, and they ended up letting some information slip. That’s how we ended up here.” Liz took a hard look at Max and finally asked, “Do you even know who Tony Fingers is, Evans?”

“Jim did happen to fill me in on who Tony is, thank you Parker.” Max growled in response.

“Good, now you know what kind of league we’re playing with here. I know you’ve been in some hairy positions in the past, but nothing of this magnitude. And since it’s obvious that I can’t get you to go back home, be careful. I don’t want to end up saving your ass again!”

Before Max could retort back to Liz’s comment, she quickly rose to her feet and headed towards what she assumed were the bedrooms. Pausing before two doors she looked back at Max with one eyebrow raised. Without saying a word, Max pointed to the door on her right. Placing her hand on the knob, Liz turned to Max once more before entering the room.

“Look, I’m going to go to bed and try to get some sleep, and I highly suggest that you do the same thing. Especially if you’re planning on going back to the club tomorrow. Which, I should add, you had better be planning because Tony doesn’t just invite anybody to see him privately. He obviously has something lined up for you, and I‘m not sure that that‘s a good thing. If you don’t turn up, you might as well pack your bags now and fly back to wherever the hell you came from.” With that said, Liz slammed the door shut behind her.

Max was in complete shock...so much so that it took a good five minutes to snap out of it. ‘Did she really just say she didn’t want to save my ass again?’ He thought to himself. “Why that little witch! I was the one who saved her life more times then I can remember,” he mumbled out loud. “Okay twice at least,” he corrected.

Not willing to let Liz get in such a cheap shot, Max rose from the couch fully prepared to rip into her. When he reached her door he paused wondering if it was really worth the bother. Convincing himself that it was, he grabbed the door knob ready to swing the door open. However, once he heard her talking on the phone, he decided to sit and listen.

Who in the hell is she talking to, he wondered as he pressed his ear against the door so that he was able to hear what she was saying better.

“I can’t believe you did that to me Jim. I mean, not only did you not trust me on this assignment, but you had to send Max as my back up? Max? He’s not even an agent anymore, and yet you were still willing to get him killed? I mean, if you were to send someone in to save my ass, then couldn’t you have at least sent in another agent? How could you do this to me Jim? Do you really hate me that much?”

At that comment Max stormed into the room causing Liz to stop what she was about to say.

“How dare you blame this on Jim,” Max shouted at Liz, causing her to flinch. Grabbing the phone from Liz, Max quickly apologized to Jim and said he’d call him tomorrow with updates on the assignment, and after he’s had a nice little talk with Liz.

Hanging up the phone, Max was on Liz within 2 steps, blocking her so she had nowhere to escape.

“Fuck!” Max yelled. “You have got some nerve, don’t you? You should be thanking Jim, not abusing him! And to use his own guilty thoughts against him was low even for your standards, Liz. You make me sick! You have no idea how hard it was for Jim to come to me., and you just made his fear of doing so come to life.”

Max turned around, ready to leave, when he made one last comment to Liz. “Oh, and one more thing. I believe that I can go ahead and answer your last question for you. No, Liz, he doesn’t hate you that much. As a matter of fact, it’s the complete opposite! That man loves you so much, but you just refuse to see it. You‘re right...you‘re not the same Elizabeth Parker that you once were. Oh no, that girl that I once fell in love with was replaced by a cold and bitter woman.” And with that said, he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

TBC...

[abbs007]

Author's Note

Hey everyone, okay I know it's been awhile since we posted a new part but I'm here to let you all know that I will be posting it soon. It was Sarah's turn to write this chapter and she has to go across state urgently to see a sick friend. But she did finish it before she went. Her brother is going to send it to me soon (that is when he can find the correct disk with the part on) and when he does I'll have a quick run through then I'll be posting it.

So not to fear it won't be long!!!!

Thank you all so much for the great feedback, and also for the bumps . You have no idea how much it means to us both.

Abby

[wearydreams2003]

Hey Everyone,

First off, I am so sorry about the lack of update here. I was supposed to have been back in town Christmas Eve, but my friend who had fallen ill, that I was visiting, had died so my trip was postponed. I asked my brother to send Abby the chapter that has been done for QUITE some frickin time now, but apparently he couldn't find it. I WILL be coming home tomorrow evening sometime, so if you guys could hold on till Monday for the chapter then it'd be greatly appriciated. I am SO sorry for the delay!

Thanks,

Sarah.

Abby, I'll talk to you as soon as I can. Sorry you've been out in the dark sweetie!